DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15097#0082
66
perhaps much of the awkwardness of the effect may be owing to
the peculiarity of the mutilation which this Metope has suffered.
Since Carrey's drawing was made, the head of the female has dis-
appeared, as have also the hind leg, tail, and right arm of the
Centaur, together with that portion of the female's arm which he
retained within his grasp. With the exception of the tail, all these
additional mutilations have taken place since the time of Stuart.
Burrow forms a much higher estimate of the merit of this
Metope, " which," he says, " for delicacy of touch and elegance of
design does not yield to any." The writer of the " memorandum
on the subject of the Earl of Elgin's pursuit in Greece," thinks he
sees in this group, " Hippodamia, the bride, carried off by the
Centaur Eurytion; the furious style of whose galloping, in order
to secure his prize, and his shrinking from the spear that has been
hurled after him, are expressed with prodigious animation:" and
considers the whole Metope one of the finest productions of art.
It requires some courage to differ from such authorities in matters
of taste, but we must still confess that we do not see much furious
rapidity in the career of the Centaur, nor any shrinking from the
spear which, in fact, does not appear to have been hurled at him.
Forte fuit juxta signis extantibus asper
Antiquus crater, quern vastum vastior ipse
Sustulit ./Egides, adversaque misit in ora.
Ov. Met. Lib. xn. v. 235.
The rude insult which excited the wrath of Theseus, and drew
down his fatal vengeance against the offending Centaur, had not
probably proceeded to the extremity of actually carrying the
bride off from the banquet table. A less outrageous insult, upon
such an occasion, would have justified the infliction of summary
punishment, and it was probably only after the contest had been
some time raging, that the Centaur would have recourse to forcible
abduction. If this principal incident is expressly represented upon
perhaps much of the awkwardness of the effect may be owing to
the peculiarity of the mutilation which this Metope has suffered.
Since Carrey's drawing was made, the head of the female has dis-
appeared, as have also the hind leg, tail, and right arm of the
Centaur, together with that portion of the female's arm which he
retained within his grasp. With the exception of the tail, all these
additional mutilations have taken place since the time of Stuart.
Burrow forms a much higher estimate of the merit of this
Metope, " which," he says, " for delicacy of touch and elegance of
design does not yield to any." The writer of the " memorandum
on the subject of the Earl of Elgin's pursuit in Greece," thinks he
sees in this group, " Hippodamia, the bride, carried off by the
Centaur Eurytion; the furious style of whose galloping, in order
to secure his prize, and his shrinking from the spear that has been
hurled after him, are expressed with prodigious animation:" and
considers the whole Metope one of the finest productions of art.
It requires some courage to differ from such authorities in matters
of taste, but we must still confess that we do not see much furious
rapidity in the career of the Centaur, nor any shrinking from the
spear which, in fact, does not appear to have been hurled at him.
Forte fuit juxta signis extantibus asper
Antiquus crater, quern vastum vastior ipse
Sustulit ./Egides, adversaque misit in ora.
Ov. Met. Lib. xn. v. 235.
The rude insult which excited the wrath of Theseus, and drew
down his fatal vengeance against the offending Centaur, had not
probably proceeded to the extremity of actually carrying the
bride off from the banquet table. A less outrageous insult, upon
such an occasion, would have justified the infliction of summary
punishment, and it was probably only after the contest had been
some time raging, that the Centaur would have recourse to forcible
abduction. If this principal incident is expressly represented upon